Mynie Steffens was a celebrity chef, TV personality and helicopter pilot from South Africa. She was best known for co-hosting the cooking show Speel met Vuur with her best friend from high school, Aldi van der Walt.
Sadly, Steffens died in a tragic accident on Monday November 10th. She was flying a helicopter over an orange grove, spraying the oranges with pesticides. Her helicopter struck power lines, and shortly thereafter, it crashed in the orange grove. This all took place before 8am local time. Steffans did not survive the crash. She was 43 years old.
People reports that the Accidents and Incidents Investigations Division (AIID) told the George Herald, “Information that is at our disposal indicates that the pilot was conducting a pest control operation flight when the helicopter struck power lines and crashed.” AIID added, “The helicopter itself was substantially damaged due to impact force.”
The accident is currently under investigation by the police.
After learning about the fatal accident, Van der Walt, Steffens TV co-host and friend, shared memories of Steffens, describing her as “always full of ideas that had transformed into successful endeavours, and then executing that with success, winning over people as she went along.” She continued, “She could make time for people from every walk of life, and that was her priority.” She added the Steffens “had a big heart, gentle soul, the glue that kept people together” and “patience and kindness coupled with humour, and that made her irresistible to people.”
Finally, Van der Walt shared how she feels about her friend’s death saying, “I will miss my friend. Her absence will be felt by many.”
VIA TV, the network that airs Speel met Vuur, shared a tribute to Steffens as well on Facebook. Here is a translation of the original Afrikaans, “Rest in peace, Mynie Steffens. You were adventurous until the end. With #PlayWithFire, you showed us all how to approach life with curiosity and bravery. Sleep softly.”
